Montreal to penalize contractors who don't move fast on pothole repairs

Under the terms of Montreal's new $22.6-million, three-year pothole-filling contract, crews will have 24 hours to fill pockmarked pavement when ordered to by the city's director — or face stiff penalties for every day of delay. 

The new fines, which amount to $1,000 per business day, are part of the city's effort to encourage speedier repairs now that regular winter warm spells triggered by climate change are wreaking havoc on municipal roadways.  

The contract was approved by Montreal's executive committee Wednesday. It will go to vote at city council later this month, but it's certain to pass: it has the backing of the city's official opposition, Ensemble Montréal Leader Lionel Perez told CBC News.

"This is something we all know is necessary as part of palliative care for the roads to ensure safe usage for all users, especially during the winter and spring months where potholes are more prevalent," said Perez.

Perez was responsible for infrastructure under the former Denis Coderre administration and began working on the contract before the November election. Much of what he had been suggesting is included, he said.

Midwinter potholes are new normal

There used to be only one pothole season in Montreal — the spring — but now potholes are appearing every time there's a warm spell in winter, said Coun. Sylvain Ouellet, the executive committee member responsible for infrastructure.

Those intermittent thaws, Ouellet explained, create a street maintenance headache. The potholes form when the pavement warms up and then get packed in with ice and snow as soon as temperatures drop again.

"The potholes are appearing everywhere," he said. "We are really limited in the time we have to repair [them]."

The goal of threatening fines, he said, is to encourage the contractor to hire the "maximum" number of workers for the job, to get repairs done quickly.

Potholes damage cars, he said, and can be a danger to pedestrians and winter cyclists.

"What we really want to avoid is sudden movement of the car that can cause other accidents," he said.

"It's really for safety reasons that we want to fill the potholes, and the sooner we fill [them], we can stop their progression."

More trucks to hit the road

Along with the fines, the new contract will add two new pothole-filling trucks to the city's fleet, meaning up to 12 vehicles could be on Montreal's roads at any one time, each using a robot-like arm to fill potholes on the go.

Rather than paying pothole repair crews for every hour worked, the city will now pay by the amount of asphalt used. The total price estimate, based on historical data, includes other material costs as well.

Paying per tonne, Ouellet explained, means $26.6 million is the maximum amount the city will be billed over a three-year period. This payment method will also speed up the process, he said, as contractors paid by the hour were sometimes using their time to fill small cracks and holes.

Now, he said, crews will be encouraged to aim for the bigger holes that require more material.

City inspectors will be keeping tabs on the work, to ensure potholes are filled and that those repairs are lasting a minimum of 30 days, said Ouellet. 

With files from Matt D'Amours